


sing me the song of death

by likewinning



Category: Batman (Comics), DCU (Comics)
Genre: Comment Fic, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-03
Updated: 2015-03-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 23:26:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 375
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3506654
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/likewinning/pseuds/likewinning
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Don't bother. He's already dead."</p>
            </blockquote>





	sing me the song of death

"Don't bother," Jason says. He uses the end of one cigarette to light another, drops the first one under his heel. "He's already dead."

Bruce checks the man's pulse anyway, listens for the sound of breathing, but Jason's right – he's been gone for at least a few minutes.

"Jason," Bruce says. Jason's leaning back against the wall, the hood at his feet, bloody knife tucked back into his belt. There's an old bruise on his chin, a tear in his jacket.

Bruce stands up, moves so he's standing in front of Jason. Where he used to tower, Jason just about meets his eyes, but that doesn't make any of this all right. "I can't just let you walk away from this."

Jason blows out a cloud of smoke at him. "Sure you can," Jason says. "This guy did stuff to kids, Bruce. You know I've been playing by your rules, but not with _this_ one."

"He could've gone to prison," Bruce says.

"Sure," Jason says. "And maybe made it back out, or gotten knifed by some other fucking lowlife –"

"Better them than _you_ ," Bruce says, and Jason stops, cigarette halfway to his mouth.

"I told you to stop smoking those," Bruce says, and Jason gives him a look that should be ugly, should be _mean_ , but –

"Why?" Jason asks. "Afraid they might kill me?"

_Yes_ , Bruce wants to say. He's been afraid of that for years, just as he's afraid every time Jason uses a gun, every time Jason disappears for months to some other country, just as –

There are always risks. Bruce knows this more than anyone. But –

"He's dead," Jason says. "What are you still doing here?"

"I didn't come here for him," Bruce says. He reaches out, plucks the cigarette from between Jason's lips and tosses it to the ground. Jason watches him, mouth open, and Bruce can't see his eyes behind the domino but he remembers what they _used_ to look like when they did this.

"You're a real piece of work, you know that?" Jason asks, but his hand is wrapped around Bruce's wrist now, clutching tight to the gauntlet.

"Yes," Bruce says, because there's no lying to Jason, no _denying_.

He kisses Jason until the sirens get too close.


End file.
